The title reminded me of the OLD Charlie Rich song, “No one knows what goes on behind closed doors.” It’s true and if you want proof, just take 5 minutes on Facebook. Everyone has the perfect husband, the perfectly decorated house, and not only the smartest kids — but the cutest ones too.

This book? If you plan to read ‘Behind Closed Doors’ by B.A. Paris — stop reading now because what follows is sort of a spoiler…

I hate it when a book treats me (the reader) like an idiot. Dude was an attorney. Do you think he left that awesome house and his wealth to a woman he only married to have access to her mentally handicapped sister? Yup — seriously… that’s the plot. And, dude let the dog die a slow death.

Dharma LOVES BarkBox! She knows the difference between an ordinary delivery and when the box delivered belongs to her (and Gracie). My favorite brother shared a photo on Facebook of his puppy with a toy from this month’s delivery at his house — a cute little blue airplane with clouds.

Everyone around me has had this bug going around and I escaped it for a good long time. The bug finally caught me and it’s making me pay for running. Sleep would be awesome, but this girl believes rest and naps are overrated.

I’ve had the same email address for at least 15 years; therefore, I’ve gotten on more email lists than I can count. The process of emptying my spam folder and deleting the occasional marketing message that makes its way into my inbox is a pain and is time consuming.

Today, an email slipped in and caught my attention from friend and speaker, Scott Friedman, (http://scottfriendman.net). The font was funky and the header read, “Celebrate 2017 With 10 Workplace Celebrations.” I couldn’t help but read it even though I don’t have a typical workplace.

One of the 10 celebrations — and the purpose of this post — was called, ‘Snap a Happy.’ Every day you take a photo of something that makes you smile and compile an album. What better place to compile a happy album than right here?

So here goes… a photo a day for 2017 of something that brought me a smile. Even if I don’t have time to write a post, I can share a photo… right? I hope you play along at home!

Summer is my favorite time of the year. At least, it used to be when I had a pool. I’ve found that without water in the backyard I don’t know what to do on weekends other than sweat or stay inside. We don’t grill out nearly as often — we don’t enjoy evenings outside even. While some get ‘spring fever’ for a car… I’m seriously thinking pool over here.

Dharma, on the other hand, is satisfied without a body of water to get into — she’s happy when it just rains…

Yesterday, I talked about Blab — but today I have three things to share and one of them is Periscope. But first… I want you to notice the Facebook post screenshot to the right. I didn’t comment on it because I stay away from politics on social media — but I laughed. Out loud even. No matter which candidate you support, I’m pretty sure it’s still ok if you find humor in campaign comments. (I blocked out the names just in case this was only meant for friends and not for the public.) I found that jewel in the middle of the bajillions of selfies shared wearing an “I VOTED” sticker.

Now that I got those two items out of the way…

Periscope enables you to live broadcast via a mobile device. You become your very own broadcasting station, streaming video and audio to those who join your “show.” Twitter owns the app. Businesses and individuals alike use it for about everything you can imagine because just as the app explains, “Periscope lets you explore the world through the eyes of somebody else.”

I used to think it was pretty cool that every time my brother went “live” I would get a notification. It’s not so cool now that Dharma recognizes the alert sound. Even if she’s sleeping, she excitedly gets up, puts her front paws on my desk, and whines until I hold the phone so she can watch too. Seriously. Don’t believe me?

Today, I booked my first ever blab session. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, allow me to explain…

Blab (https://blab.im) is “a place to watch, join, and interact with live conversations about the topics that matter most to you.” Basically, Blab is a live-streaming platform that enables a public video chat among four participants at a time. I’ve tuned in on multiple occasions and to be transparent, it wasn’t for me. What I found was a whole bunch of ‘wanna be authorities’ on various topics. While the topics I chose were of interest to me, I tuned out after a few minutes of listening to the blab (and yaddah yaddah yaddah).

I fully understand that companies must take part in the technology ecosystem and how important virtual audiences are in regard to marketing products and services. But I also see the side of how difficult it is to keep up! Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo, Periscope, blogging, Google+, LinkedIn, podcasts, Pinterest, Instagram, Flickr, Tumblr and more (in no specific order) — sometimes it’s overwhelming. Not just as someone trying to keep up in regard to business marketing… but as a consumer as well.

I’m open though! I’m hoping this Blab will change my mind about Blab, you guys. Maybe I just got hooked up with the wrong Blabbers.

I want to be more like Dharma. Everything sounds like ‘blab blab blab’ to her and she finds it ALL extremely entertaining. She just loves digital dogital marketing!

Gracie’s Audition for an ASPCA TV Commercial:

My puppies walk through a closed-in porch to go outside. When they want back in, they expect the door to open for them immediately. But it’s not like they’re chained to a doghouse in knee-high water, or stranded in the hot sun with nothing to drink — still, poor Gracie looks like she’s auditioning for a part in one of the ASPCA commercials that make me cry every single time (so I’m NOT linking to them here either). Sometimes I let them stay out there long enough to smear my door’s window up with nose prints.

What Facebook hides:

There’s apparently a hidden treasure trove of messages that Facebook hides from you. They’re messages that are most likely sent from someone not on your friend’s list. My favorite brother sent me the link last night — and I’ve seen others sharing it today within status posts.

I primarily use FB on my desktop computer and to check this out, you need to be on your phone. I didn’t have any hidden messages, but it seems we lost a couple speech inquiries and more on another FB account because of this.

The lesson here is two-fold. Check your hidden FB messages more often than once a year, but most importantly… don’t use FB to send a message to someone if you’re not “friends” — and especially if you’re sending a business message to a personal account.

So much talk about pit bull terriers! Some claim they are vicious and dangerous around children, while others claim they’ve gotten a bad rap and are sweet animals. Because I’m not 100% certain which side I believe, I don’t own one. Although I think they are a gorgeous breed, I have a granddaughter. Not knowing is not worth it.

When it comes to dogs, I ‘get it’ that some breeds are simply more aggressive than others and pet owners may also contribute to their pet’s aggressive behavior by poor treatment and training/non-training. But that isn’t always 100% accurate either. My Libby, (now resting in box in my office) was a labrador. Labs are known to be friendly and goodness knows I did nothing to make her aggressive… but she was. More protective than aggressive — but she would bite. She was the true alpha dog.

Studies show that headlines written utilizing a number resonate more with readers — as much as 15% more than 2nd place, ‘addresses the reader’ headlines. I guess I agree, even though I feel saturated with lists and more lists. Having said that, allow me to share the ONE reason Dharma loves Valentine’s Day… fuzzy teddy bears!

Although it’s not FELT like Christmas this year (we didn’t get to have our family gathering until the 26th, those pesky neighbors are in Florida, AND it’s been a rainy 60-65 degree weekend), it’s still in the books. Even though it didn’t feel like Christmas, it DID feel like FAMILY and that’s ok with me too. Sure did seem like most of the love centered around a little 5-year old girl with messy hair this year.

Oh… and one girl with 4 legs and lots of hair…

I’m packing today for a Florida trip — off to see Mikey Mouse, Polly Purebred, and Leo the Lion.

I need to go Christmas shopping but at the end of every single day I make an excuse to wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow, I have to maneuver 2 dogs to the vet (which will undoubtably require patience and strength — neither of which are my strong points) so I KNOW I’ll have an excuse to wait until at least Friday. Time is running out and we have next to ZERO percent chance of snow for my favorite holiday. I’d be all merry and bright with just a small flurry or two but Mother Nature isn’t cooperating this year.

Dharma LOVES taking a bath. Yah, I’ve said that before. What I didn’t explain is the drama that begins the second I stand up and she knows bath time is over. They say a picture is worth 1000 words so I’ll keep this brief…

Posting this photo today that I took last weekend because Dharma is growing so fast she’s already bigger now.

She’s growing like a weed…

Something else that grows like a weed? A fib.(A fib is a really kind way to say a LIE, isn’t it?)

Your friends and family will love you anyway if just tell the truth when you screw something up. When it comes to a business interaction, you’ll get a better result if you simply tell the truth and ask for help.

A liar deceives himself more than anyone, for he believes he can remain a person of good character when he cannot.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich

Make it easier on everyone else, but especially yourself, and simply tell the truth.

The Christmas tree is up at my house but this year is not merely a repeat of previous holidays. I had to buy a new tree this year… my Martha Stewart special lasted only 2 years. And Dharma is so destructive that I didn’t feel “safe” pulling out my collected ornaments. My (now 33 year-old) baby’s “first Christmas” ornament is pretty special to me and I simply didn’t want to chance finding it chewed and discarded after the holiday season. So my new LED tree has just plain ole’ ornaments this year…

With a selection of colors and display choices (flashing/firefly/etc), I thought I’d just share a black and white rendition and let you guys pick whatever color you want. When I pick, it’s purple every single time. Evidently, everyone else thinks the “P” on the tree remote stands for “PINK” (not purple) and switch it to something…. ANYTHING else the second my back is turned.

If trying to monitor a puppy during the holiday season (so everything remains somewhat intact) isn’t enough — I have this five-year old granddaughter. Kids LOVE remotes, you guys. Between remotes for the TV, the AppleTV, the fireplace, the cable box and more… it feels like I’m almost always looking for a remote to something. And when I find the remote I’m looking for? It doubles as a pretend cell phone and rings often.

When I dust, my puppy, Dharma, chases the dust rag. When I vacuum, she growls and bites the sweeper while standing directly in the path I prefer to take. When I clean windows, she immediately puts her nose on them. The only thing clean around here is Dharma.

I thought Dharma was doing so good with the whole potty training thing… until I found her poop stash. I watched as she snuck into the living room (the room with white carpet) and slithered behind the couch. It was pretty evident what she was about to do. I yelled and she came out like a flash and ran to the back door. Of course, this is proof she KNEW where she was supposed to do her stinky deed.

When I pulled the couch out to see if any “mistake” happened before I stopped the process, I found a couple other “mistakes” already there. This puppy thing is rough, you guys.

Pretty sure this will be the last share of live outside plants until next year. Dharma thinks they smell nice — but what would she know about smells anyway?

Hard to believe that in Indiana, at 6:00 AM ET in mid-November, it was warmer right here than it was in Henderson, NV. It was snowing on this same date last November and I shared photos of my beautiful granddaughter playing in it. I remember the Farmers’ Almanac was a source my grandfather used to refer to reference how harsh we could expect the upcoming winter to be. I doubt my own son has ever even heard of it.

I thought I’d pop over there and see what I could find to share with you guys, and the first thing that caught my eye was the suggestion that today is a good day to castrate your farm animals. Once you get that little task out of the way, you might be interested to know their prediction for the rest of November:

It’s windy and rainy today, but not so much that the girls didn’t want to pose outside to tell you goodbye.

So I asked Google when I might expect Dharma’s eyes to change color and I found about 100 answers that were all different. Some articles said 8 weeks (that’s long since done and over with) and others said that breeders of chocolate Labs may try to achieve dark chocolate or black eyes by breeding only black labs that are known producers of chocolates. I know Libby’s eyes were amber/brown in adulthood and they were green/blue when she was a puppy. I figure Dharma’s will change and was just curious as to when I could expect it. Now I know it could be yesterday or never. Thanks, Google.

Gracie’s behavior, while often annoying, is also commendable. She has such a high tolerance level in respect to the constant pestering of her puppy sister, Dharma. I had a friend suggest that little Dharma is too cute to be such a bully. (You know who you are!)

Dharma could never be as bullyish as you and Gracie say. She is just too cute. LOL”

Well… she’s even WORSE than I’ve admitted…

Every waking moment, Dharma is after poor Gracie. Gracie looks at me with pleading eyes as I break up the torturous acts of brutality inflicted upon her. No matter how quickly I put a stop to Dharma’s relentless assaults, there are always consequences for Grace. One day, the girl will be bald.

Libby was never a fan of water. Although she was a lab and the whole water thing was expected, I can’t remember a time she didn’t do whatever she could to avoid getting her feet wet. Baths? She HATED them! Getting her in and out of the tub was nearly impossible. When I tried bathing her outside in the warm summer months, she was terrified of the water hose. I’ve dipped warm water from the hot tub more times than I care to remember and although it was difficult, she made it 100 times worse. Libby would seriously poop on the sidewalk rather than get her feet wet in the rain.

Dharma is totally the opposite. Because she’s too evil to be left alone even long enough for me to shower, I lock her in the bathroom with me. I have better luck with a shower (even though she’s hopping on her hind legs, grasping at the shower curtain trying to get in) because it’s quicker. A bath for me is no longer a relaxing experience. Every part of my body is shredded that she can reach as she hops and scrambles to get in with me — just barely too short. I figure I’ve got about a week before I am required to change my routine.

When I do give her that extra boost and she hits the warm water (once I’m safely out), she growls, barks, and bites at it. It reminds me of a ninja… bite in front, leap, and bite that bad water behind.

She may look all innocent… but she is far from it, you guys. She’s a little terror with a love/hate relationship with H2O.

Once again, thanks to Veterans and their families for their service. I want to share a comment made on Facebook by friend, Dan Leclerc, in 2009 — it touched me then so I kept it… and it still does today:

This morning, I saw the old man who has served as the crossing guard down the street for years in a new light. Usually he’s wearing overalls and beat-up ball-cap. This morning he was in his old dress uniform, the chest covered with medals and ribbons. I guess his job has always been to protect us.

This Puppy Mommy Gig

I have learned 10 very valuable lessons that I want to pass to you:

NEVER feed your dog(s) breakfast at 6:00 AM unless you want to get up at 6:00 AM for the rest of your life

Replacement charging cords are expensive

If you have more than one pet — they always want what the other one has

If you already own a dog and get a puppy, the existing pet will live a tortured life

Puppies are cute when they sleep but otherwise are tiny sharks that are 90% evil

You may be thankful when your puppy falls asleep at 8:00 PM but that is an illusion — they will be up 1/2 the night

Puppies will eat ANYTHING… and then, they will poop it out later on white carpet if you have it in your house

Dogs learn quickly that ‘going outside’ means a treat upon return — you will let them out even if it’s a cruel trick… just in case

Don’t cuddle a puppy close to your face if you want to keep your nose, eyes, lips and cheeks

…

If my list consisted of 11 lessons instead of 10, I would’ve added that dogs in general are expensive and you shouldn’t get or have one if you don’t intend to take care of it properly. Between vet visits, shots, heart worm pills and dog food ($22 for a 4.5 pound bag, you guys — about the same as the going price per pound for ground round), it is an expensive, long-term commitment. But in my opinion… it’s sure worth it!

We all know this one person we would consider a bit of a bully. Right? Maybe not to the extent that we’d consider their actions mean, but enough that we’d love for them to leave us — and others — alone. I’m not talking about stealing lunch boxes or beating up one who is defenseless. My thoughts are about the type of bully that picks and picks and picks until they get what they want. You’ve got somebody in mind right now, don’t you?

So does Gracie…

Closing your eyes and merely hoping the bully will go away doesn’t work. The bully remains. Looking all innocent and waiting for the next moment they can make you miserable. Sadly, sometimes they don’t even know they are a bully.

I haven’t talked much about photography for a long time because I simply wasn’t taking many photos. This new puppy has me picking up my camera again, and for the first time in over a year I pulled out my favorite lens and snapped a few quick photos.

Which lens is my favorite?
The Canon 85mm, 1.2. When this lens locks in at f/1.2, there’s not another lens I know of that produces better bokeh.

The Canon 85mm, 1.2 is a medium telephoto — I can get shots that are more ‘close up’ without being right on top of my subject (Diva Dharma in this instance). I’m not going to tell you this is an easy lens to use. It isn’t. It takes practice to deal with wide apertures and you’ll most likely have some shots that simply aren’t in focus (especially when photographing moving objects like a rowdy puppy). The good news is that with a wide aperture lens, you can shoot in about any lighting situation.

These Dharma photos were taken on a dreary, rainy, fall day. Yes, that’s a raindrop on her nose — and yes, I was cold. These photos are nothing more than Dharma on the sidewalk and me standing above her inside the patio room.

So now that I’m once again fascinated with taking photos — I want a NEW lens. I’m hoping Santa brings me the 33mm, 1.4 for Christmas.

My favorite sister-in-law gave me a ‘Dammit Doll.’ She picked it up while on an excursion with Scott because she (a) thought I needed something to take my frustrations out on (b) thought I would find it amusing.

This camouflage dude with orange-spiked yarn hair has had a rough morning. The dammit doll needs a dammit doll, you guys.

Whenever things don’t go so well,
And you want to hit the wall and yell,
Here’s a little dammit doll,
That you can’t do without.
Just grasp it firmly by the legs
And find a place to slam it.
And as you whack the stuffing out,
Yell “DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!”

I wake up early and make a cup of coffee thinking (praying) I could have a few moments peace and quiet before my day got underway. From the bedroom in the bedroom (Dharma’s crate), I could hear wailing. A sound so loud and shrill it probably cracked a vertebra or two. Now Dharma hadn’t been in her “bedroom” all night — just for the last few hours after I took her out in the middle of the night and she wanted to play during my sleep time. Still, she wanted OUT of that darned crate and she wanted the neighbors to know it.

It’s not quite daylight, mid-sixties with a bit of rain, and I think playing outside will wear the heathen down. Torturing Gracie is what Dharma lives for. (It’s sort of like me and my brother were years ago… wait… it’s STILL like that!!) Torturing Gracie is also strenuous activity that results in a nap — a puppy nap means your toes, computer cords and all those objects close to the floor are perfectly safe for a short time.

Fast forward two hours and the hounds look so cute rolling in wet leaves that I dash inside to get my camera. Within the minute and a half it took me to get back, they’d gone their separate ways to explore the backyard and I missed the chance to capture that memory. So, I snapped this instead: